Tuba Group doesn't pay its employees

This story doesn't make the headlines but that's really a shameful event that is happening in Bangladesh. For more than a week now, 1.500 workers are on strike to protest against Tuba Group, accused of not paying them.

Tuba Group is a company which owns fashion factories. It employs about 1.600 workers, who produce t-shirts, jackets, polo shirts... Tuba Group is located in Bangladesh but isn't that far from us, as its major clients are well-known Western companies. Among them we can find Walmart, Carrefour, H&M or even...the US Marines !

In November 2012 a big controversy erupted when a fire broke out in the Tazreen Fashion factory, killing 117 people and injuring at least 200. It was the deadliest factory fire in the nation's history.

2 years later and among other claims, employees are still asking reparations.

Since this tragic incident, victims' families have still not been compensated. But that's not the only reason why workers began a mass hunger strike on 28 July. Indeed they also blaim Tuba Group for not having paid their salaries, bonuses and additional hours for two months.

Whereas Bangladesh is one of the poorest country in the world, not being paid for two months is not sustainable for most of the employees. Since they started the hunger strike, 15 workers had to be hospitalized and more than one hundred are ill according to the responsibles.

We will continue our protests and fasting until our demands are met

A worker

Last year, the government raised the minimum wage for garment workers by 77 percent to 5,300 taka (€50.4) a month and amended the labour law to boost workers' rights. The industry accounts for 80 percent of Bangladesh's exports but accidents and strikes have put at risk the livelihoods of nearly 4 million workers, most of them women.

Tuba Group is not a SME, that's a big company with clients all over the world, it can easily pays its employees. What it is doing is a perfect case of modern slavery.

SHAME ON TUBA GROUP

The video below is not in English (apparently it has no interest for Western medias) but images are significant.

This is an obvious case of modern slavery, we should all stand and fight it !

Follow me on Twitter : @SlaveryFight

Bangladesh Tuba Garment Workers Protest- A Report by Mithun Mostafiz

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters' Association, BGMEA, said Tuba factory workers, on hunger strike for four days, may get a part of their dues within a week. A fire in Tuba Group owned

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyK7Ej7f_9M